


Strings of Fate

by Vf_Blitz



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Homeless, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 02:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1727741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vf_Blitz/pseuds/Vf_Blitz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Music is Shepard's only hope. He's been left alone after the Alliance and now lives on a friend's couch. Kaidan has gone through the Alliance, but got stuck behind a desk in a building full of nut jobs. When they both meet each other for the first time... how will it go? Where will it lead? Only the Strings of Fate know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strings of Fate

Music in the Park

It’s just another day in Vancouver. Men and women travel on foot, car, or bus to get to work in the morning. Yet there is one man stands out. Or at least is interesting enough to be noticed. Kaidan Alenko, Alliance desk jockey and substitute biotic instructor, is on his way to work and juggles four cups of coffee in his arms. He grumbles and curses whenever the heat goes through his suit and brushes against his skin. It burns, but he was used to it.

Today was already not going in his favor. He was running late so he decided to cut through the park to make a quick dash to the transit before it leaves the seven-thirty stop. Why he never took this route is beyond him, but will soon to regret not coming sooner. This is when he first heard it. It was music that flowed through the air and came from gentle fingers striking strings. Alenko immediately found himself dazed by the sound and stopped right in front of the source without realizing it.

There a man sat on a bench with a wooden instrument on his left thigh. It emitted soothing tunes with each stroke. The man stopped for a second and looked at Kaidan his face shows he’s surprised that someone is staying to listen to him. He smiled before starting a new song. It was a soft tone with a heartwarming lift. Kaidan snapped back into reality as his watched alerted him to the time, so he hurried off to the transit. While leaving he looked back at the guitarist. His smile dimmed down and soon vanished. Kaidan wishes he could stay and listen, but he isn’t the kind of person with all the time in the world.

“Hold the bus!” Alenko did his best to run and not spill the drinks at the same time. Hard considering he only has two arms and carried four cups. A woman held the door open, even if the bus driver yelled at her, until Kaidan got in. “Thanks, Ash.” She turns around and unintentionally slaps him with her long hair. He just frowns, but keeps it to himself.

“What hell Alenko? Where have you been?”

“I uh… got held up.” They both moved to the center where there was a little clearing. A few people give her an odd look considering she looks like an Alliance grunt. Really she’s just the gun instructor. He handed her the coffee that has Ash’s name on it.

“With what exactly?”

“Just stuff, Williams, just stuff.” She rolls her eyes and looks on her Omni-tool for today’s schedule. Ashley stops drinking for a second and starts to choke. In a few seconds she recovers and curses to herself.

“I’m stuck with Vega for the rest of the week! Again!” Kaidan goes to make a witty comment, but she gives devastating glare to make him shut up.

“I’m sure the two of you will get along.”

“Eh… I’ll just make him repeat something in Spanish until he feels smart.”

“That’s mean, Ash, just plain mean.”

~/~

From then on the day went normally. More or less so. Kaidan did his usual morning rounds by getting Steve and James their coffee. It’s the least he can do since they’re all in the same building wing. He gets different people their coffee each day. They also have to call dibs first and give Alenko the credits. After the morning bit Kaidan goes to his desk and does his work, but today he was distracted a bit. Reminded every time in pure silence of that hypnotizing tune he heard in the park. He’s also visualizes the man on the bench. He didn’t pay much attention to details, yet his mind now gives him a full image.

He wore tattered jeans with old sneakers, and a black unzipped hoodie that covered a white v-neck. The guitarist has lightly tanned skin and shaggy hair that flowed from the hood. Stubble also covered his face. Kaidan stopped his work as the memory replayed of him at the park. He felt his cheeks heat up so he tried his best to conceal it behind his terminal. He doesn’t even know the guy and he’s already developing a crush.

“Something wrong, Alenko?” He jolts up as he spots the odd face that appears around from time to time. Body covered in tattoos with a punk stubbed jacket. A pony tail with shaved sides also intimidates him slightly. It’s not that tattoos that scare him, it’s the pony tail.

“N-Nothing, Jacqueline”

“Alenko, I told you to call me Jack. I hate that name.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“You seem agitated, Alenko. Something bugging you?” She leans in toward him with obvious intention of playfully toying with him. It works since he backs away. She laughs at him and slaps a few papers onto his desk. “Ah… you’re too easy. Here’s the work and stuff.” She spins on her heel and begins walking away all cool with her hands in her pocket. “I’m here if you need me!”

Kaidan isn’t sure what to think of her. Both as a college and friend. It’s complicated for him. Just having Vega, Ash, and Steve as _friends_ is too much considering he thinks of them as total nut cases. After a bit of silence he sighs and reviews the forums Jack left. Just the average notes and updates about the students, mostly Rodriguez. Just like that the rest of the day resumes its usual boring self.

~/~

“Oi! Romeo!” The biotic’s head jolts up from a sudden shake on his shoulder. A few pieces of paper stick to his face as he is manually turned in his chair. Kaidan had fallen asleep at work. Vega laughs along with a few coworkers behind him. He also takes them off since Kaidan is still in shock.

“I told you not to do that, Vega!”

“I couldn’t help it! You’re too easy!” He lets out a loud grunt which causes Vega’s laughter to dim down. Kaidan rolls his eyes as he notes another event of Vega’s _amazing_ personality “Anyway we’re all going out to get a few drinks. Games are on tonight.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“What? You always come drinking!” Vega picks Alenko up with help from a few other guys, but Kaidan doesn’t seem pleased one bit. In fact it looks like they’re trying to pick up a rag doll. A very heavy rag doll. Once he’s standing they let him go.

“I’m tired, Vega. I’m just going to head home.”

“Fine. Your loss, Romeo.” Kaidan slings his coat over on his shoulder and heads in the opposite direction of them. For all he knows if he so much as steps an inch into the group’s radius he’ll arrive at a bar in no time. Steve bumps into him as he makes his way to leave.

“Shit, Kaidan. Sorry. Didn’t see you.” Steve doesn’t look done with work has he holds a stack of papers with both hands. He adjusts them quickly before any can fall from the small collision.

“No, no it’s my fault. My bad.”

“Lost in thought again?”

“MmmHmm.”

“Mind me asking about what?”

“A song I heard on the way here.”

“Cool. Must be good.”

“It is. Anyway how’s Robert? Haven’t seen him around in a while.”

“He got transferred to a different wing there morning. He hates it there already because he misses us so much. Namely Ashley’s and Vega’s bickering.” The workers of Kaidan’s workplace are more like family. When you get moved out to work in somewhere else you tend to get homesick.

“I’ll trade with him.” Steve and Kaidan have some friendly banter and talk about a variety of topics in less than ten minutes. After a friendly goodbye he finally sets off to the nearest transit to head home. He also hopes to see the guitarist one more time. However, on his way through the park he didn’t see the guitar man. It was late, near midnight, so it made sense. Yet, the biotic was saddened by how empty the area was.

At his apartment a wave of loneliness washes over him. His place is as clean as possible with nobody to mess it up. Even Kaidan is rarely home with his work with the Alliance. Dust collects around on shelves and counters. The biotic starts to regret not going with James and the others, but it’s too late for that now. For a simple solution it involves a hot shower and goodnight’s rest. If he can get the music out off his mind at least.

Some distance away from the luxurious apartment is where the guitarist, whose name is Shepard, arrives to where he is currently living. His guitar around his chest and the case in one hand. The other is in his pocket because he’s cold. When putting down the case on the coffee table to check the tips he earned. After counting it all it’s only seven dollars and eighty-five cents. He doesn’t react or anything and lets the coins slip through his fingers to fall back into the guitar case. Shepard is struggling because people don’t donate with credit. Only coins and dollars. He can even get donated credit because his chit was stolen. His Omni tool doesn’t even work anymore as well. Shepard looks around at the apartment and sighs. It’s not exactly the best quality, but it’s still decent considering the streets and alleys do not look appealing.

“Ah! You’re back. Food’s gone cold.” A man comes out in his pajamas and sits next to Shepard. He seems oblivious of the money as he turns on the TV to Battle Space. Like every time he enters Shepard instinctively studies him. Blond hair and beard with blue eyes are the first things that he notices. It’s always the first thing he notices.

“Sorry. I was out late.”

“Hey! Don’t worry about it! You’re welcomed here anytime. It beats being stuck with my cat alone. Which reminds me I haven’t seen Mr. Pounce-a-lot for a while… Wonder where he’s run off to…” Shepard moves the case onto his laptop which surprises him. He finally decides to look at the money.

“This is all I’ve been able to get. I hope it’s enough, Conrad.” He groans and pushes the case back onto the table.

“How many times do I have to say it, Shepard? You don’t have to pay me for anything.”

“Still if I just-”

“Shepard, knock it off. You need that money more than I do. I’m fine.” He looks at the time and turns off the TV. He hasn’t even been watching it for five minutes. Just like Conrad he can’t just stay put for a few minutes unless you tell him to. Shepard just tucks the money into a pocket and puts his guitar away neatly. He lies on the couch and puts his hoodie over himself as a blanket. He’s just one couch away from raising the homeless veteran population by +1. After everything he has done for the Alliance they just decide to cast him aside early. Now if only he can go to sleep without thinking about that man from the park.


End file.
